MRT lines
There are currently 5 operating MRT lines and three operating LRT lines currently, and below here are the list of rail networks that are currently operational: *North South Line NSL *East West Line EWL *North East Line NEL *Circle Line CCL *Downtown Line DTL *Bukit Panjang LRT BP *Sengkang LRT STC *Punggol LRT PTC Below here are the lines that are either under planning / to be planned: *Thomson Line TSL *Eastern Region Line ERL (future) *Jurong Region Line JRL (future) *Cross Island Line CRL (future) Operators There are currently two MRT/LRT operators in Singapore. History The origins of the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) are derived from a forecast by city planners in 1967 which stated the need for a rail-based urban transport system by 1992. Following a debate on whether a bus-only system would be more cost-effective, Parliament came to the conclusion that an all-bus system would be inadequate, as it would have to compete for road space in a land-scarce country. The initial S$5 billion construction of the Mass Rapid Transit network was Singapore's largest public works project at the time, starting on 22 October 1983 at Shan Road. The network was built in stages, with the North South Line given priority because it passed through the Central Area that has a high demand for public transport. The Mass Rapid Transit Corporation (MRTC), later renamed as SMRT Corporation — was established on 14 October 1983; it took over the roles and responsibilities of the former provisional Mass Rapid Transit Authority. On 7 November 1987, the first section of the North South Line started operations, consisting of five stations over six kilometres. Fifteen more stations were opened later, and the MRT system was officially launched on 12 March 1988 by Lee Kuan Yew, then Prime Minister of Singapore. Another 21 stations were subsequently added to the system; the opening of Boon Lay on the East West Line on 6 July 1990 marked the completion of the system two years ahead of schedule. The MRT has subsequently been expanded. This includes a S$1.2 billion expansion of the North South Line into Woodlands, completing a continuous loop on 10 February 1996. The concept of having rail lines that bring people almost directly to their homes led to the introduction of the Light Rail Transit (LRT) lines connecting with the MRT network. On 6 November 1999, the first LRT trains on the Bukit Panjang LRT went into operation. In 2002, the Changi Airport and Expo stations were added to the MRT network. The North East Line (NEL), the first line operated by SBS Transit , opened on 20 June 2003, one of the first fully automated heavy rail lines in the world. On 15 January 2006, after intense lobbying by the public, Buangkok station was opened. The Boon Lay Extension of the East West Line, consisting of Pioneer and Joo Koon stations, began revenue service on 28 February 2009. The Circle Line opened in four stages from 28 May 2009 to 14 January 2012. Stage 1 of Downtown Line opened on 22 December 2013 with its official opening made on 21 December 2013 by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. Infrastructure 'Network' 'Facilities and services' Except for the partly at-grade Bishan, the entirety of the MRT is elevated or underground. Most below-ground stations are deep and hardened enough to withstand conventional aerial bomb attacks and to serve as bomb shelters. Mobile phone service is available in and between all stations on the entire MRT network. Underground stations and the trains themselves are air-conditioned, though some above-ground stations have fans. Every station is equipped with General Ticketing Machines (GTMs), a Passenger Service Centre, LED and plasma displays that show train service information and announcements. All stations are equipped with restrooms and payphones, although some restrooms are located at street level. Some stations, especially the major ones, have additional amenities and services, such as retail shops and kiosks, supermarkets, convenience stores, automatic teller machines, and self-service automated kiosks for a variety of services. Heavy-duty escalators at stations carry passengers up or down at a rate of 0.75 m/s, 50% faster than conventional escalators. The older stations on the North South and East West lines were originally built with no accessibility facilities, such as lifts, ramps, tactile guidance systems (Braille tactiles on the floor surface), wider fare gates, or toilets for passengers with disabilities; authorities in the past actively discouraged use of their system by the disabled.Now, these facilities are being progressively installed as part of a programme to make all stations accessible to the elderly and to those with disabilities. All stations are now barrier-free, although works are still ongoing to provide stations with additional barrier-free facilities. On 7 March 2012, Minister for Transport Lui Tuck Yew told Parliament that the installation of lifts at pedestrian overhead bridges next to six MRT stations and additional bicycle racks at 20 stations would be completed by end of 2013. 'Depots' SMRT Corporation has four train depots: Bishan Depot is the central maintenance depot with train overhaul facilities, while Changi Depot and Ulu Pandan Depot inspect and house trains overnight. The underground Kim Chuan Depot houses trains for the Circle Line . Jurong East, Tanah Merah, Ang Mo Kio, and Paya Lebar (Circle Line) platforms were built with a third middle track for off-service trains to stop at before they return to their depots, but the first two are now used as terminals for the North South Line and the East West Line Changi Airport Branch Line respectively, and the last two as terminals for the North South Line special train and the Circle Line special train respectively. Sengkang Depot houses trains for the North East Line, the Sengkang LRT and the Punggol LRT together with Kim Chuan Depot for the Downtown Line , all operated by SBS Transit. It is the first depot to have structural provision for an industrial development located above the depot, to minimize land take. On 7 March 2012, Minister for Transport Lui Tuck Yew told Parliament that a new depot for the North South and East West Lines (NSEWL) and Tuas West Extension would be ready in 2016, and the upgrading of the existing North South Line and East West Line (NSEWL) depots would be started and completed by 2014. In August, 2012, the LTA released tender documents for a new three-level depot at Changi to serve the East West Line , Downtown Line , and Eastern Region Line . LTMP 2013 Thre additional lines will be added following the LTMP 2013, compared to the addition of the Downtown Line , Eastern Region Line , North South Line extension, East West Line extension, and the Thomson Line for the LTMP 2008. Hence, the targeted up to 360 km, twice the total rail distance as of the current 180 km, the two additional lines for the LTMP 2013 will be North East Line extension, Jurong Region Line and the Cross Island Line . On 7 Oct, Minister for Transport, Mr Lui Tuck Yew, launched the Land Transport Master Plan (LTMP) 2013 at the Singapore International Transport Congress and Exhibition (SITCE) to take Singapore’s land transport forward for the next 10 to 15 years. Today reported that the four key priorities in this new master plan are: *More connections *Better service *A liveable and inclusive society *Reducing reliance on private transport. The first six stations of the Downtown Line (Bugis, Promenade, Bayfront, Downtown, Telok Ayer and Chinatown) which connect to existing rail lines will open on 22 Dec 2013 and enhance connectivity in the city, to make it more attractive for motorists to switch to public transport. Over 1,700 feedback contributions from the public were received since mid-2012 as part of the review of the LTMP 2008 which identified commuters’ desire for a more comprehensive public transport network, better quality MRT and bus services as well as comfortable and safer walking and cycling experiences. The Master Plan was drawn with these concerns in mind. The LTMP will be rolled out in stages from 2013 to 2030, starting with the opening of the Downtown Line 1 and Marina Coastal Expressway in 2013 and ending with the Opening of the Cross Island Line , North East Line Extension and the completion of an island wide cycling path network of more than 700 km by 2030. History of the system map 1987 to 1996 The MRT was a very recent addition for Singapore and as such, the authorities wanted to keep the MRT map as easy to use for Singaporeans as possible. Hence, each direction of travel was colour-coded in a different colour as though it were a line on its own. In that way, confusion in decision-making when taking a certain line in a certain direction would be reduced for passengers. However, this reduced the amount of colours available for new lines and was not in line with international practice. Previously, each direction of travel on the MRT was denoted on system maps as a different colour. *Northbound services were denoted in Orange (since been given to the Circle Line ) *Southbound services in red *Eastbound services in green *Westbound services in blue (since been given to the Downtown Line ) *Northbound Choa Chu Kang Branch Line services in khaki *Southbound Choa Chu Kang Branch Line services in brown Each station was also assigned a unique alphanumeric code, with the alphabet indicating which part of the island the station lies at (North, East, West, Central, Marina Bay region or Choa Chu Kang Branch Line) & the numbers (in ascending order from the centre of the island) indicating which part of that region the station is located at. *Stations from Bugis to Pasir Ris denoted by codes E1 to E12 *Stations from Tanjong Pagar to Boon Lay denoted by codes W1 to W12 *City Hall, Raffles Place & Marina Bay denoted as C2, C1 & M1 respectively *Stations from Dhoby Ghaut to Yishun denoted by codes N1 to N12 *Stations from Bukit Batok to Choa Chu Kang denoted by codes B1 to B3 1996 to 30 July 2001 The colour and alphanumeric codes for each direction of travel remained unchanged, except that with the opening of the Woodlands Extension (connecting Yishun station to Choa Chu Kang station), the Jurong East – Choa Chu Kang Branch Line ceased to exist. As such, the formerly Northbound Choa Chu Kang Branch Line services in khaki travelled southbound to Marina Bay & as such were denoted as red while the formerly Southbound Choa Chu Kang Branch Line services in brown originated from Marina Bay, hence having travelled northbound it was denoted as yellow. The alphanumeric codes for these stations were also replaced. Expo station which opened in 2001, was denoted by the code E13 for a short while. The Bukit Panjang LRT opened in 1999 and was given the colours purple and orange to represent its direction of travel. Due to the alignment of the route, which was a loop track around Bukit Panjang New Town, the map was different. The stations were given the alphanumeric code A1 to A14, with numbering starting from Choa Chu Kang interchange and going anti-clockwise direction on the loop. The directional arrow on the shared service track (between stations A1 to A6) was split, half purple coloured and half orange coloured. From Bukit Panjang station, the orange arrows travelled in an anti-clockwise direction B) via Petir while the purple arrows travelled in a clockwise direction A) via Senja 31 July 2001 to date Because of an expanding rail network, the MRT System Map could no longer afford to have each direction of travel represented by a different colour. Eventually, the map would run out of colours to use to represent each direction of travel. This was the main reason behind the revamp. Using the acclaimed London Underground Map as a reference, the MRT System Map was revamped, as announced by the then Minister for Transport and Communications, Mr Yeo Cheow Tong. Colours were used to represent each line rather than each direction of travel, cutting the usage of colours by half and preserving other colours for future lines. *'Red' for North South Line *'Green' for East West Line *'Purple' for North East Line *'Orange' for Circle Line (formerly for North-bound train services on North South Line ) *'Blue' for the Downtown Line (formerly for West-bound train services on East West Line ) *'Grey' for all LRT lines The direction of travel was instead represented by numbers contained within a coloured circle located at the ends of each line, known as the destination number. Like before, each station was assigned a unique alphanumeric symbol. However under this revamped system map, the letter in each symbol denotes the line (rather than the region of Singapore the station was in) and the number increases in ascending order from East to West (East West Line), North to South (North South Line), South West to North East (North East Line), in an anti-clockwise direction (Circle Line) and in a clockwise direction from the North-west to the South-east (Downtown Line). Interchange stations will then have at least two or three codes. For example: *'Bugis' EW24'''for the East West Line section and '''DT14 for the Downtown Line section. *'Dhoby Ghaut' NS24 for the North South Line section, NE6 for the North East Line section and CC1 for the Circle Line section. List of MRT stations 'North South Line (NSL)' NS1EW24 Jurong East NS2 Bukit Batok NS3 Bukit Gombak NS4BP1 Choa Chu Kang NS5 Yew Tee NS6 (located near Sungei Kadut) NS7 Kranji NS8 Marsiling NS9TS2 Woodlands NS10 Admiralty NS11 Sembawang NS12 (located near Simpang) NS13 Yishun NS14 Khatib NS15 Yio Chu Kang NS16 Ang Mo Kio NS17CC15 Bishan NS18 Braddell NS19 Toa Payoh NS20 Novena NS21DT11 Newton NS22TS14 Orchard NS23 Somerset NS24NE6CC1 Dhoby Ghuat NS25EW13 City Hall NS26EW14 Raffles Place NS27CE2TS20 Marina Bay NS28 Marina South Pier 'East West Line (EWL)' EW1 Pasir Ris EW2DT32 Tampines EW3 Simei EW4 Tanah Merah EW5 Bedok EW6 Kembangan EW7 Eunos EW8CC9 Paya Lebar EW9 Aljunied EW10 Kallang EW11 Lavender EW12DT14 Bugis EW13NS25 City Hall EW14NS26 Raffles Place EW15 Tanjong Pagar EW16NE3TS17 Outram Park EW17 Tiong Bahru EW18 Redhill EW19 Queenstown EW20 Commonwealth EW21CC22 Buona Vista EW22 Dover EW23 Clementi EW24NS1 Jurong East EW25 Chinese Garden EW26 Lakeside EW27 Boon Lay EW28 Pioneer EW29 Joo Koon EW30 Gul Circle EW31 Tuas Crescent EW32 Tuas West Road EW33 Tuas Link CG1DT35 Expo CG2 Changi Airport 'North East Line (NEL)' NE1CC29 Habourfront NE2 (located near Keppel) NE3EW16TS17 Outram Park NE4DT19 Chinatown NE5 Clarke Quay NE6NS25CC1 Dhoby Ghuat NE7DT12 Little India NE8 Farrer Park NE9 Boon Keng NE10 Potong Pasir NE11 Woodleigh NE12CC13 Serangoon NE13 Kovan NE14 Hougang NE15 Buangkok NE16STC Sengkang NE17PTC Punggol 'Circle Line (CCL)' CC1NS25NE6 Dhoby Ghuat CC2 Bras Brasah CC3 Esplanade CC4DT15 Promenade CC5 Nicoll Highway CC6 Stadium CC7 Mountbatten CC8 Dakota CC9EW8 Paya Lebar CC10DT26 MacPherson CC11 Tai Seng CC12 Bartley CC13NE12 Serangoon CC14 Lorong Chuan CC15NS17 Bishan CC16 Marymount CC17TS9 Caldecott CC18 Bukit Brown CC19DT9 Botanic Gardens CC20 Farrer Road CC21 Holland Village CC22EW21 Buona Vista CC23 one-north CC24 Kent Ridge CC25 Haw Par Villa CC26 Pasir Panjang CC27 Labrador Park CC28 Telok Blangah CC26 Labrador Park CC29NE1 Habourfront CE1DT16 Bayfront CE2NS27TS20 Marina Bay 'Downtown Line (DTL)' DT1BP6 Bukit Panjang DT2 Cashew DT3 Hillview DT4 (located near Hume Avenue) DT5 Beauty World DT6 King Albert Park DT7 Sixth Avenue DT8 Tan Kah Kee DT9CC19 Botanic Gardens DT10TS11 Stevens DT11NS21 Newton DT12NE7 Little India DT13 Rochor DT14EW12 Bugis DT15CC4 Promenade DT16CE1 Bayfront DT17 Downtown DT18 Telok Ayer DT19NE4 Chinatown DT20 Fort Canning DT21 Bencoolen DT22 Jalan Besar DT23 Bendemeer DT24 Geylang Bahru DT25 Mattar DT26CC10 MacPherson DT27 Ubi DT28 Kaki Bukit DT29 Bedok North DT30 Bedok Reservoir DT31 Tampines West DT32EW2 Tampines DT33 Tampines East DT34 Upper Changi DT35CG1 Expo Future Lines (under planning) 'Thomson Line (TSL)' TS1 Woodlands North TS2NS9 Woodlands TS3 Woodlands South TS5 Springleaf TS6 Lentor TS7 Mayflower TS8 Sin Ming TS9 Upper Thomson TS9CC17 Caldecott TS10 Mount Pleasant TS11DT10 Stevens TS12 Napier TS13 Orchard Boulevard TS14NS22 Orchard TS15 Great World TS16 Havelock TS17NE3EW16 Outram Park TS18 Maxwell TS19 Shenton Way TS20NS27CE2 Marina Bay TS21 Marina South TS22 Gardens by the Bay 'Eastern Region Line (ERL)' (under planning) 'Jurong Region Line (JRL)' (under planning) 'Cross Island Line (CRL)' (under planning) Category:Mass Rapid Transit (Singapore) Category:Rail transport in Singapore Category:Underground rapid transit systems